“We can feel secure and happy at Christmas because they are on duty,” he said.

In much of the world, Christmas was already underway. In rainy Bethlehem, more than 100,000 Christians were drawn to the place where Jesus was born.

“To be here at this place is quite special I think,” one man from Poland said.

At St. Peter’s Basilica, the traditional Midnight Mass got a 10 p.m. start to afford the 84-year-old Pope Benedict XVI some extra rest leading up to his Christmas Day speech.

As for Archbishop Dolan, he promised a homily full of optimism and joy, something that met the approval of those outside St. Patrick’s.

“I think if we listen to what Archbishop Dolan has to say about hope and peace maybe there could be some resolution towards everything going on in the world today,” said Greg Packer of Huntington, N.Y.

“A feeling of goodness togetherness community hopefully it will carry on not just this year but longer than that,” said Kelly Gilbert of Saddle River, N.J.